Rainbow Islands arcade-style port in development for Amiga AGA

Rainbow Islands is one of the most memorable arcade platform games of the late 80s. Originally released by Taito in 1987, the game quickly became popular thanks to its colorful graphics, catchy music, and creative gameplay. As the sequel to the classic Bubble Bobble, it kept the same playful charm while introducing a new style of platforming that focused on climbing upward through vibrant islands filled with enemies, treasures, and secrets. Over the years, Rainbow Islands has appeared on many home systems, including the Commodore Amiga. The Amiga version, released in 1990 and developed by Graftgold, was widely praised and remains one of the most beloved platform games on the system. However, like many arcade conversions of that era, it could not perfectly replicate the arcade original due to hardware limitations. Differences in graphics, animation, and overall presentation meant that the Amiga port, although excellent, still felt slightly different from the arcade experience.

Today, more than thirty years later, Rainbow Islands is receiving renewed attention within the Amiga community thanks to a new project by Hoffman aimed at bringing a more accurate arcade experience to Amiga AGA systems. This project focuses on recreating the original arcade version of the game while taking advantage of the improved graphical capabilities of AGA machines such as the Amiga 1200 and Amiga 4000. In Rainbow Islands, players control Bub and Bob, the characters from Bubble Bobble who have returned to human form. Their adventure takes them across a series of themed islands where they must climb to the top while defeating enemies and collecting items along the way. Each island presents new challenges, different enemy types, and hidden secrets that reward careful exploration.

The key gameplay mechanic of Rainbow Islands is the ability to create magical rainbows. These rainbows can be used as platforms to reach higher areas or as weapons to defeat enemies. Players can jump on the rainbows to climb upward or drop them on enemies from above. This unique system gives the game a strategic feel and encourages players to think creatively as they progress through each stage. Another important feature of the game is the collection of colored gems(7). When collected in specific orders, these gems can unlock special bonuses, secret stages, and additional rewards. This adds depth to the gameplay and gives players an incentive to master the mechanics and explore every level carefully.

The new AGA-based project aims to recreate the arcade version of Rainbow Islands as faithfully as possible. With the expanded color palette and graphical improvements available on AGA hardware, developers are able to produce visuals that more closely resemble the original arcade machine. This allows for richer environments, smoother animations, and a presentation that feels closer to the arcade experience. Early previews shared within the Amiga community show promising results, with gameplay, level design, and visual elements that appear very close to the original arcade version. This has generated excitement among retro gaming enthusiasts who have long hoped to see a more accurate Amiga adaptation of the game.

Projects like this highlight the passion that still exists within the Amiga scene. Even decades after the platform’s commercial peak, developers and enthusiasts continue to create new software, revisit classic games, and push the limits of vintage hardware. For fans of retro gaming and Amiga computers, this new Rainbow Islands AGA project is an exciting development. It shows that classic games can still evolve and find new life thanks to dedicated communities who continue to celebrate and preserve gaming history.

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